


Missing Pieces

by lizzygrace12



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Friendship, Humor, Kylo Ren Redemption, One Shot Collection, Redeemed Ben Solo, Redemption, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2019-06-19 22:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15519798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzygrace12/pseuds/lizzygrace12
Summary: A collection of one shots set in the "Pieces" universe





	1. Hustle

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own star wars. 
> 
> Hello, everyone. I've started this fic for oneshots related to the "Pieces" universe. I have so many moments for this family that would just never fit within the timeline and plot of my story. I would like to incorporate ideas from all of you into this work, so send some prompts my way. No worries! Updating Pieces will still be my main priority.

Even late at night, the resistance base’s eastern wing common room is bustling with activity, filled with exhausted pilots, mechanics, engineers, and many others. It served a space to swap stories, eat, play, listen to music, or whatever else they could come up with. 

Rey is an exhausted pilot. Exhausted mechanic. Exhausted scavenger. Exhausted jedi. She’d spent the better part of her day rolling around on the hanger floor doing ship repairs. Now she finds herself sitting comfortably on the old, dilapidated common room couch, that may or may no be cleaner than the hanger floor. It’s hard to tell. She picks aggressively at fingernail, trying to free up the caked in grease and dirt, only half listening to the conversation going on around her. 

“No, No, No, Finn,” Poe exclaims, punctuating his statement with a slap on the table. That catches Rey’s attention. “I’m telling you. The quality of ships around the time of the clone wars, and even the empire, was way superior that what we are seeing now..”

“No way. Have you seen..,” Finn puts a hand up, trying his best to get a word in, but Poe’s not having it. 

“I’m not talking big ships. I’m talking tie fighters...x-wings. Technologies improved...sure, but cheaper materials are being used. What goods an updated display, if the paneling isn’t strong enough to protect you? Newer ships just aren’t as sustainable.” 

Rey decides that she has something to contribute. “I can attest to that. I spent most of my life rummaging through the wreckage from the Battle of Jakku. Those parts may be old, but they’re solid.” Poe points his finger at her excitedly. 

“Thank you, Rey. See, Finn. Told you,” he gloats, crossing his arms in front of him. 

“Whatever, new or old, you get hit with a cannon and you’re dead,” Finn sighs. The room quiets for a moment. Just sometimes you forget that you’re in the middle of war...a war that’s already taken countless lives. Then, something always brings you back to the reality of the situation. 

Rose whines, laying on the floor dramatically. “Well, I, for you, am done talking about battles, tie fighters, dreadnaughts, blah, blah, blah.” She rolls on her elbows and her eyes light up. “I want to do something fun.” 

Finn nods. “Yeah, I let’s do something fun…yeah. What around here is fun?” Kaydel is already picking through the supply cabinet without much success. 

“All that’s in here is some old texts, a few holograms, and bits and pieces of old board games,” she says snapping the door closed. 

“I have a deck of Sabacc in my room,” Poe offers with a shrug. 

“Yeah, that’s it. Go get it,” Kaydel says pushing Poe towards the door. “Rose go do a kitchen raid. Don’t bring any of that dehydrated guava fruit. It’s nasty. Don’t bring any portions. Rey needs to learn to eat something else.” 

“Hey,” Rey says, prepared to defend the sustaining qualities of a standard portion. 

“You know I’m right. I’m going back to my room to get a couple bottles of Corellian Whiskey I have stashed away,” she says slyly. 

Finns mouth falls open. “Where the hell did you get that?” Alcohol was a rarity on the base. Some of the resistance allies had committed to sending food shipment every couples weaks. Booze was never part of the deal. 

“I found them is one of the old supply closets,” she shrugs. “I turned them in to the General. She told me find a time to put them to good use.” 

Poe laughs. “That sounds like her. Finn, you figure out something we can use for the Sabacc pot. Make it worthwhile. Reconvene in 10 minutes. Be prepared to lose.” 

Finn hoists himself off the couch and offers Rey a hand up. She allows him to pull her to her feet. Sitting on the couch for so longs made her stiff, so she talks a moment to stretch a bit. 

“You playing?” Finn asks. 

She shakes her head, putting on an apologetic smile. “I think I’m just going to call it a night. I worked on force stuff with Ben early this morning and was working mechanic pretty much all day.” 

“You can make all the excuses you want Rey,” Poe interjects, “but, I think, you are just afraid that you are going to lose.” 

“I’m not afraid I’m going to lose,” she says. That’s the dumbest thing she’s every heard. She and Poe get along really well for the most part. However, the last few days they’ve really been butting heads. A few successful missions in a row have given him a big head and Rey, quite frankly, is done with it. “Fine. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” 

“Bring dark and twisty back with you. I don’t want him showing up through your force bond and helping you cheat,” Poe wags a finger at her. Rey doesn’t bother suppressing her eye roll. 

“So first I’m a loser and now I’m a cheater,” she grumbles. “Ben couldn’t help me if he wanted to. He’s got the force suppressant cuffs on.”  
“All the same, I like him where I can see him.” Poe spreads his arms out and backs out the door. “It’s gonna be a fun night.”  
___________________________________________________ 

Rey half expects Ben to be asleep at this hour. Frequent nightmares made sleep a rare thing for him. When she knocks on the door, it swings open almost immediately. He takes one look at her and his vacant expression turns into a scowl. 

“Well, hello to you too,” she says, pushing past him into his room. 

“What did I do this time?,” he asks gruffly, leaning against his door frame. He’s watching her warily and his body language overall is very defensive. “Is it about that thing that happened in the cantina this morning? Dameron will back me up. It wasn’t that big of a deal.” 

Rey is confused. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Wait. What happened this morning?,” Rey asks, fiddling mindlessly with some of the old knick knacks on Ben’s nightstand. Han had kept a box of Ben’s old things on the Falcon. Parts of an old calligraphy set, some model ships, books,...

“Unimportant,” he says. He crosses the room to snatch the calligraphy pen from Rey’s hand. He gingerly twirls it in his hand before setting it on his desk. “If I haven’t done something nefarious, what have I done to deserve your presence in my bedroom at this hour of the night,” he says with a smirk. She can feel her face get hot which only makes his smirk deepen. He’s just trying to get her worked up. There are in each others rooms all the time. More often than not, they leave the door joining there rooms open. “I’m under the impression you are here for more than just a chat?” Even without the bond, he’s good at reading her. 

“There’s a group of us gathering to play Sabacc in the common room. Ben, I’d like you to join me,” Rey says quietly, holding out her hand. His smirk quickly turns into a scowl. “Please.” He can’t keep the scowl for long. She can tell he’s trying not to smile. 

“No,” he says simply, turning away from her. Rey never backs down from a challenge. Catching his shoulder, she pulls him back to face her. 

“Yes. Come on. It’s going to be a good time...maybe,” she tries to keep her voice serious, but finds that she is questioning how fun this night is actually going to be. Ben, whose just as stubborn as she it, sits down in his desk chair, bringing his hands behind his neck. 

“I don’t want to go and play nice with your resistance friends.” 

“News flash: you are kind of a resistance friend now. You are my friend, so you’re indirectly their friend,” she counters. “Besides you eat three meals a day with me and some of them.” 

Ben’s eyes narrow. “Exactly. It tries my patience.” She can tell he’s getting annoyed. “Besides, no one wants me there.”  
“Aha,” Rey shouts. “Not true. Poe wanted me to ask you.” His head cocks to the side and one of his eye brows shoots up. 

“Dameron invited me to a game night?,” he asks slowly. 

“I mean? Technically, yes. He’s worried you’d help me cheat through the bond and he ‘wants you where he can see you,’” Rey says doing her best Poe Dameron expression which makes Ben chuckle. However, she doesn’t think he’s particularly persuade to join. “How about this? If you don’t go, I will launch a full fledged investigation into whatever happened in the cantina this morning.” His dramatic sigh lets Rey know she’s won. 

“You are insufferable,” he growls. 

“I know.”  
__________________________________________________________________  
When Ben and Rey get there, Poe is sitting at one of the tables, shuffling through the deck. Kaydel follows in close behind them, holding up two bottles. 

“I bought the good stuff,” she sings. She has a bottle open before she even sits down. “Nice of you to join the fun, Ben.” He nods briskly and reluctantly takes the seats next to her, kicking out the seat on the other side of him, signaling for Rey to take it. “Couldn’t find any clean cups, so we’re drinking from the bottle, friends,” she says, taking the first drink before sliding it to Poe. 

When the bottle gets to Ben, he spends a lot of time looking at the bottle. He runs his hand over the label. Corellian Whiskey...the good kind. He wouldn’t be surprised if this came from his father’s stash. He needs another sip. 

Rey snags the bottle from his hand and, without any hesitation, she takes a huge sip. A gulp actually. A very large gulp. Some of it comes back up as she coughs and sputters, trying to clear the burning feeling from her throat. Ben slaps her on the back. “Christ, Rey. Easy.” 

Poe laughs. “Death by Whiskey. Remind me how the hell you survived on Jakku all those years.” Rey’s cheeks redden. For the most part, Rey takes pride in her ability to survive. But sometimes...people like to remind her of how different her childhood was and she feels left out. She doesn’t understand references or doesn’t know how to use certain things or hasn’t had certain things. She sometimes ends up the butt of a joke. She hates that she lets Poe’s joke get to her. 

Ben taps her on the leg. “Ignore him. He’s an ass,” he whispers so that only she can hear. 

“I know,” she mutters. “I’m fine.” Finn and Rose’s arrival breaks up the tension. Rose has an arm full of snacks which gets thrown on the table. Finn empties out a small nap sack of things. 

“Alright. So, here’s what I’ve found for the pot,” he says spreading it out. “I found a rusty old pocket knife that is...kind of broken, an old ring, and a thing that may be a bracelet or maybe just some braided metal wire.” 

“Well, all of those suck,” Poe says. 

“Finn, you had one job,” Rey jokes. 

“Alright, it wasn’t like I had a lot to work with,” Finn throws his hands up and grabs a bag of fruit crisps. 

“Ben you playing?,” Poe asks as his deals the cards out.

“No. I’m just watching.” 

“Alright, suit yourself.” He stops when he gets to Rey. “Have you played before?” 

She shakes her head. “I’ve seen some people play at Niima outpost, but never got around to playing myself.” 

“We can play together this first round, so you can learn. It’s one of those games that takes a while to get the hang of,” Poe explains. He probably knows he upset her and is trying to be nice. Rey nods in agreement. He explains all of the rules and takes time to explain each of the cards meanings to her. The first round is fairly low key and Rose ends up with the broken pocket knife. 

Rey rests her chin in her hands. “I think I can handle playing on my own now.” 

“You sure?,” Poe asks and he deals out the cards. 

“Yeah, I think so.” Ben sits slightly behind her, keeping an eye on her deck. She doesn’t play well. She makes some stupid mistakes...suspiciously stupid mistakes. Poe points out her errors and offers suggestions on how to improve. Rey doesn’t really seem to care that much, but she watches how Poe plays carefully. Poe wins rounds 2 and 3 without much competition. He collects the ring and the questionable bracelet. 

Rey reaches for the whiskey bottle. 

“Little sips,” Ben reminds her. She takes it nice and slow this time, and in smaller amounts. “Thata girl,” he says under his breath. “I puked the first time I had Corellian Whiskey, so you’re doing okay.” Rey throws him an appreciative smile. 

“Okay, we need better stakes here,” Kaydel argues. “I don’t want to play for something that may or may not give me tetanus.” Everyone sits there thinking. 

“We could play for food?,” Poe shrugs.  
“Dumb,” says Finn. 

“Says the guy who thought a rusty pocket knife would be desirable,” Rose chimes in. 

“How about... the winner gets there night watch shifts covered by the rest of the players for the next two weeks,” Rey suggests. The general consensus is that this is an excellent idea. Ben, however, knows something is up. Rey hates the night shift more than anything. He finds it fishy that she would put herself in the position to cover more than her allotted times. She’s a shit player. He turns to say something to her, but is silenced by her hand on his knee. She gives him a wink. 

The cards have been dealt and they’re ready to start. “Have a good time on the night shift friends,” Poe says arrogantly. 

This game, as a whole, starts a lot like the others. Slow. However, Rey plays matter. Her hands are carefully chosen. She seems to anticipate Poe’s moves before he makes them. She saves her better hands. She only uses what she needs. It takes a while before Poe catches on.

“Rey, you’re getting a little better,” he says elbowing her in the side. 

“Yeah, I guess so,” she responds, biting her lip. 

The games progresses and Rey plays more aggressively. She rules the dice confidently and lays cards down confidently. Ben can see Poe is starting to get nervous. It’s down to the final hands. It’s between Poe and Rey. Poe lays down his cards and pumps his fist in the air. 

Ben’s face falls. Poe has a really high hand. Rey tilts her cards in Ben’s direction so that he can see them betters. 

Her hand is higher. 

“It was a good game Rey. I’m impressed with how fast you learned,” Poe says. 

With that, Rey slaps down her hand. 

“And that, Poe Dameron, is one of the ways I survived on Jakku all those years,” she says confidently. 

Poe jumps out of his seat to look at her hand. “What? You’re kidding me? How did you even....” He stops to take in Rey and Ben’s smirk. “You’ve played before?” Finn and Rose bust out laughing, and even Kaydel is fighting back a snicker. 

Rey nods and takes a sip of whiskey. “Yeah, every once and a while, it was too dangerous to go out to the wastelands to scavenge. If you wanted to eat, you either put out or learned to play cards. I’ve been playing since I was 10. I was small, assuming, and underestimated. Tonight, I needed one round to play dumb, two rounds to learn your playing habits, and one to win,” she says sweetly. 

“That’s called a hustle, Poe,” Ben says, adding fuel to Poe’s fire. His face is beat red and he pulls at his short dark hair. 

Rey stands up. “Friends, I bid you goodnight. It’s been a pleasure playing with you all,” she says, bowing at the waist. She’s met with claps and whistles. “Poe, I’ll let Leia know that you’ll be taking my shift tomorrow night.” She’s met with a grumble in response. 

With that, Rey marches herself right out of the room and heads back towards her room. Ben takes a few long strides to catch up with her. She smiles at him. “See I told you it might be fun.”

“Remind me never to underestimate you, Rey.”


	2. Parenthood: Day 8

The alarm clock is due to go off in five minutes, but Ben makes the executive decision to turn it off. He didn’t know it was possible to be this exhausted...emotionally, physically, mentally. He knows whatever he is feeling, Rey must be experiencing ten fold. He brushes the brown locks away from her face, her hair is stringy and greasy. He knows it’s been a day or two since she’s showered. She just doesn’t have the energy. Saying “Go clean up. Your hair is gross” did not end well for him. He’d gotten a verbal lashing from both his wife and his mother. Perhaps he could have been more sensitive.

Rey’s breastfed the baby every three hours since she was born, on the dot, not even a minute late, and it was beginning to take its toll. She’s determined to tackle every feeding despite Ben’s offer to help. She’s always looked serene when she sleeps, but lately she’s been sporting dark bags under her eyes. She running on no caffeine and minimal sleep. Nights are the worst. By now he knows the nighttime routine, Rey wakes up and feeds the baby. Then, she lies in bed for hours worrying about the baby and by the time she gets to sleep it’s time for the next feeding. Padme is a good eater for the most part. Sometimes she’s fussy and won’t latch on right away. That’s rough. The baby cries. Rey cries. Ben feels useless. Which is why, he decides, he’s going to let her sleep. 

He slips out of bed very carefully, softly unwrapping her arm from around him. He pads across the room to the baby crib and peers inside. She’s already awake, staring up at him with brown eyes that mirror his own. He rests his hands on the crib rail with a sigh. 

“Alright, sweetheart. We are trying something new here,” he whispers. She looks as skeptical as he feels. Before she gets the opportunity to cry, he scopes her up and carries her from the room. Walking down the hall, he cradles her in his left arm, marveling once again at how tiny she is. He goes into the fridge and grabs one of the bottles Rey had prepared “just in case.” He grabs the informational packet on feedings the hospital had provided and starts flipping through it. 

“Padme, they told us how to do this, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything but you,” he says softly, rocking back and forth. He pops the bottle into some kind of warmer and waits for the timer to go off. “I’m not going to be as good at this as your mom is, but we are going to give it our best shot.” He offers her one of his fingers which she grasps readily. 

BEEP. The timer goes off sooner than he expects. What was he supposed to do next? Ah, yes. Check the temp. He manages to reposition the baby so that he’s able to squirt some of the milk on the inside of his wrist. “Kriff,” he yelps, setting the bottle down. “We are going to give that a minute to cool.” Padme is starting to purse her little lips which is usually her way of letting someone know she is hungry. “I get it, kid.” He’s hoping that his continued rocking will distract her just a little longer. She scrunches her little face and he know time is running out. He tests the bottle on his wrist again. “Alright, we’re good to go. Let’s sit outside. I’ve got baby, bottle, um….blanket thing.” He snatches the soft piece of cloth off the couch. “And your hat. I don’t know why you need a hat. It’s not cold out. But your mom and grandmother always put you in a hat, so we’re going with it,” he whispers slipping pulling the hat onto her head. 

He sits in one of the deck chairs that looks out over the city The hum of speeders is constant, even at four in the morning. He tosses the blanket over his shoulder and starts repositioning the baby in his arms, bringing his large hand to support her head and neck. He takes a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.” He brings the bottle to the baby’s mouth. It’s going well until Padme realizes this isn’t her mom. She opens her mouth wide and begins to wail. “Hey, hey, hey. Shhhhh. You’re okay, kid.” He tries again. Baby is not impressed. “Hm. You’re stubborn aren’t you. Well, so am I.” She’s still hesitant at his third attempt to get her to take the bottle, but eventually she starts to eat. “See that’s not so bad. Your mother won’t deny you anything, but we’ve got to give her a break.” He sits listening to the soft sounds of his daughter suckling down her bottle. It’s peaceful really, and strange. He’d never really considered how nice domestic life could be. 

When Padme is done eating, he brings her up to his shoulder and pats her back as he’s seen Rey do many times before. It isn’t long before a small burp escapes her mouth. “You may have gotten your set of lungs from me, but that burp was all your mother.” He moves her hat away so he can press a kiss to her soft little head. In only a few moments, she’s asleep again. He quietly makes his way back into the house. He debates putting Padme back in her crib, but eventually decides he wants to snuggle just a little while longer. He lays down next to his wife, whose since flipped to lay on her stomach, and lays the baby on his chest. He takes in all of it. His wife’s soft snores. The feeling of his daughter’s heart beat against his own. The force that binds the three of them together. 

He’s pulled from his thoughts when Rey starts to get restless. She sighs and grabs the clock off her night stand. “Kriff. Dammit. No,” she says and Ben can tell she’s starting to cry. She throws off the covers. 

“Rey..” She doesn’t even turn to look at him. 

“Ben, I slept through her feeding,” she says tearfully. She starts to get up off the bed, but Ben uses his free arm to grab her hand. “Ben, stop…”

“I fed her.” 

“What?,” she sniffles and she finally turns around to face him. Her face softens when she sees their daughter sleeping soundly. “Oh, okay.” She looks slightly confused, but she slides back into bed, turning to face him. He can tell from her force signature that she’s more relax, but she’s still upset. 

“Rey, tell me what’s wrong.” 

“I spent most of my life hungry,” she says quietly as tears roll down her face. “I don’t ever want her to know what that feels like. And I…,” she stops to hiccup. “I have this ability to keep her well fed and I don’t want to take that for granted. When I woke up, I thought I’d failed her. That I couldn’t even be a good mother for eight days.” 

“Is that why you don’t let anyone else feed her?,” he asks softly. Suddenly everything was making more sense and his heart breaks. She nods and uses the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. Ben carefully picks Padme up and lays her on her back between them. “Your dedication is commendable to be sure, but you have to take care of yourself too, Rey. You’re going to make yourself sick. I turned the alarm off because you needed the sleep.” 

“I know I did,” she whimpers. 

“Let us help you with the feedings. I’m her father. We’re in this together. And whether we like it or not, my mother is part of this too.” She cracks a smile. 

“You don’t think it makes me a bad mother if I don’t do it every time,” she asks. 

“It wouldn’t make you a bad mother if you chose to bottle feed her every time.” Rey ponders this for a moment before nodding. 

“Did she eat okay?” 

“Yeah, she did good. It took some convincing. She was confused at first, and then mildly angry at me, but after that it was good. She took the whole bottle. Gave me an impressive burp.” Ben lightly drums his fingers on the baby’s full belly. 

“Really?,” Rey asks skeptically. 

“Honest. Which is why you should let me take some of them. I get why you like to do it. I understand. But in order to take care of her, you have to take care of yourself. Let me take at least one during the day and one at night,” he proposes. “I have a responsibility too, to you and to her. And, I liked doing it. 

“That sounds...good. That’d be nice,” she agrees and her sniffling stops. “I love her so much. I just want to do everything right by her.”   
“We want the same things. I think we’ll be just fine.” He carefully leans across the bed to press his lips to hers. Rey sighs and leans her forehead against his. 

“Thank you, Ben. For letting me sleep, and a million other things. I wouldn’t want to share this life with anyone else.” The lay back down on either side of their daughter and Rey pulls the baby’s hat off so she can stroke her head. 

“No, I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to sharing your life with me,” he says softly. “I’ll never be deserving of you, or her.” 

“Not true,” Rey says, twisting one of Padme’s silky black curls. “I can’t get over how much I love her. Her smell, her tiny hands and feet, her full head of hair, the way she scrunches her face when she’s mad.” 

“She’s extraordinary. With you as a mother, she’d have to be.” Rey blushes at the compliment. “Now, she doesn’t need to eat for more than another standard hour which gives you plenty of time to…” 

“Wash my hair?” Rey smirks, getting up off the bed 

“I was going to say relax, but washing your hair sounds like a great idea,” he laughs, earning himself a pillow to his face. He hears her giggle softly as she leaves the room. 

He gently picks up the baby, crosses the room, and lowers her into her crib. “Padme, we are going to be just fine, kid.”


	3. Thinking About It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Star Wars.

THINKING ABOUT IT 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey mommy…” Rey can tell by Padme’s tone that a question is going to follow. She’s at that stage were questions are almost constant.  _ Mommy why does it rain? Daddy, why do I have to take a nap? What is that? Why are you doing that?  _ Neither of her parents had been prepared for the volume of questions.  _ “I don’t know it was possible for someone so small to talk so much,” Ben had said just a few weeks ago.  _ However, they both seemed to have finally gotten the hang of the almost constant stream of chatter. 

 

“Yes, love?,” Rey asks, looking up from her data pad. Padme sits across from her working on some coloring assignment for school. She’d been a little quieter than usual when Rey picked her up from school, but she’d figured that the change in schedule had made her tired.  However, the furrow that’s currently between the child’s brow makes her suspicious. Her husband does the same thing when he’s in deep thought. 

 

“Are you and daddy going to have another baby?,” she asks innocently. Oh. Rey is not prepared for this question at all. 

 

“Wh..what?,” Rey stutters. 

 

“Are you gonna have another baby?,” she asks again, as she continues to color. It’s clear she doesn’t realize the effect this question has had on her mother. Immediately after Padme was born, Rey got a birth control implant and has gotten it replaced annually ever since. There hadn’t been any talk of having more children. 

 

“Hey love, look at Mommy please,” Rey says quietly. Now time to counter her question with another question. “Why do you ask?” 

 

Padme bites the inside of her cheek, a habit she picked up from Ben no doubt. “Well…,” she says slowly, “today at school Taz was talkin’ bout how his mommy just had a baby. So, now they gots two babies.” She holds up two small fingers to emphasize her point. 

 

“Well, some mommys and daddys only have one baby,” Rey says, praying the conversation will end there. She knows it won’t, but she’s terrified that this will branch into the where do babies come from conservation. 

 

“Why?” Dammit. She should have seen that coming. 

 

“Because that’s what the mommys and daddys decide to do.” She and Ben hadn’t decided anything. To be honest, Rey hadn’t really even thought about having more kids. 

 

“But why?” 

 

“Because they want to?” Rey realizes that she doesn’t sound the least bit convincing at this point. 

 

“Oh...okay,” Padme says. She returns her focus to her art project, but Rey can’t help but notice the small frown on her face. 

 

It’s Rey’s turn to ask a question and she’s honestly terrified of the answer. “Love, would you like me and daddy to have another baby?” Did Ben want another baby? Rey’s heart sinks. Had she been selfish these past few years...getting the birth control implant replaced without discussing it with him. He would have said something, right? 

 

The child’s face lights up. “Yes, please!,” she shouts as she scurries out of her chair to throw her arms around her mother. “You have to have a baby ‘cause I saids please.” 

 

“P, you don’t always get something just because you say please,” Rey says, ruffling the child’s curly, black hair. 

 

“Yes, I do. Daddy said so,” she says very seriously. Before this conversation can go any further, the front door swings open and Ben strides through. He drops his bag on the kitchen table before greeting Rey with a chaste kiss. 

 

“DADDY,” Padme yells, flinging herself into her father’s arms. 

 

“Hey, you! How’s my best girl, huh?,” he asks, swinging her in a circle. 

 

“I was good today,” she says proudly. 

 

“You were? What do you think mommy, was she good today?,” he asks turning to his wife.

 

“She was very good today. Her teacher said she is a great listener, but she sometimes talks a little too much.” Padme beams at the compliment.

 

“Talks too much? I can’t even imagine,” Ben says sarcastically. He sets the child down, much to her dismay, and gets himself a glass of water. “So, what have you and mommy been up to?” 

 

Rey panic. “Mommy and I were talkin’ ‘bout…,” Padme starts. Rey grabs her around the waist and lightly puts her hand over the child’s mouth, halting her sentence. The child giggles. 

 

“Padme was working on an art project. Weren’t you, love?”  The child nods excitedly and Rey releases her. “Don’t you think you should finish it so you can show daddy?” Padme agrees and runs back to the back. 

 

“So, what the hell was that about?,” Ben asks with eyebrows raised. Rey groans. 

 

“I need to talk to you immediately,” Reys. She grabs his hand and pulls him outside onto their deck. Padme can’t hear their conversation from here, but they can still keep an eye on her through the window. 

Ben follows her silently and waits patiently for her to explain. Rey takes a deep breath, trying to figure out how best to approach this subject. “How do you feel about having another baby?,” she blurts out. She realizes immediately this was indeed not the best way approach the subject. 

 

Ben’s eyes widen and travel down to rest on her abdomen. He chokes out a sound she’s not sure is completely human. 

 

“I’m not pregnant,” she says quickly and he visibly relaxes. “But, I could be.” 

 

Ben runs both hands through his hair, a clear sign he is stressed. “Do we need to get you a test?,” he asks weakly, setting himself in the patio chair. 

 

“Shit. Ben, there is no baby. 100% not pregnant,” she exclaims. “I’m sorry I’m terrible at communicating.” She takes a deep breath. “What I meant is...if you wanted another baby we could.”

 

“Rey, what’s all this about?” Ben asks softly, pulling her into his lap. 

 

“It’s your daughter’s fault I’m so flustered. We were just going about our day as usual and she starts asking if you and I are having another baby!,” she explains. 

 

“What? Why?,” he asks confused. 

 

“Some kid in her class has a new sibling and now she wants one,” she groans, laying her head on his shoulder. 

 

Ben looks down at her shock. “Wait, she wants one?” 

 

“Mhm,” Rey confirms. They both turn to look at Padme through the window. She catches her parents gaze and waves excitedly. 

 

“Rey, do you want another baby?,” he asks seriously. “I haven’t really thought about it...she keeps us so busy.” 

 

Rey lets out a huge sigh of relief. “I haven’t really thought about it either,” she says softly and she can’t keep a stray tear from falling. Ben reaches out to wipe it from her check. “I’m glad this caught you off guard as well. We haven’t talked about it and I was worried that maybe you had been wanting another baby...but that I was too much of an idiot to see that. Here I was thinking I might have been keeping you from your new found dream of having an army of children.” 

 

Ben chuckles into her hair. “This life I have with you is the dream I don’t deserve. I have more than I could ever need.”

 

“Promise you haven’t been harboring some deep desire to get me pregnant that I’ve been oblivious to,” she says, holding her pinky out. 

 

“Are you making me pinky promise,” he asks incredulously. 

 

“Our toddler told me it’s the strongest promise someone can make,” Rey says trying to fight back a smile. 

 

“Well, in that case, I, Ben Solo, promise you, Rey Solo, that I haven’t been secretly pining for another baby,” he says locking his pinky with hers, “even though we’d have a hell of a time making one.” Rey giggles and captures his mouth with her own. “But seriously, this is a decision we make together. If it had crossed my mind I would have talked to you about it. You know that. You know me. Although, I kind of feel like we have to have a baby now since Padme wants one.” 

 

“That’s cause you’re a pushover,” Rey mumbles into his chest. “You’re the best dad though. If we decide to have another baby they will be so lucky.” 

“For two people, who were scared out of their minds to be parents I think we’ve done an okay job,” he says quietly. “We could handle another baby.” 

 

“I’ve always felt like Padme knew from the beginning that we were basket cases and decided to give us a break. She was a relatively easy baby compared to some. That means that our second baby will probably be terrible...just a lot of screaming and that thing were they poop and it goes all the way up their back…,” Rey jokes. 

 

“It’s about times someone’s come along to kick our asses. We’ve been getting too comfortable,” Ben chuckles. “I think Padme would be a great big sister though.” 

 

“Do you think it would have made a difference for you...having another sibling,” Rey asks thoughtfully. 

 

“Do you think I wouldn’t have become Kylo Ren? I don’t know. When I was little I used to worry about Han and Leia having another baby, because I thought if the baby wasn’t force sensitive they would like it more than they liked me. It might have been nice though. My parents were both gone so much...I was lonely and the other kids just didn’t get me. But, I can’t say that a brother or sister would have stopped me from the path I went on….How about you? I have a feeling a sibling would have meant everything to you,” Ben says, tangling his hands in Rey’s hair. 

 

“It would have made everything easier and harder. Family would have been nice….having someone I cared about and who cared for me would have been nice. But honestly, Jakku is easier if you have no one to look out for but yourself....I think maybe I’d like Padme to have a sibling…,” Rey says hesitantly and to her relief Ben nods in agreement, “...someone to be there for her if something happens to us. You’re right... she would be a great big sister.” 

 

“We don’t have to make any decisions today,” Ben says gently. “Let’s think on it.” 

 

“That sounds good,” Rey agrees and pecks Ben on the cheek. 

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Ben watches as Rey walks their daughter to the school door where her teacher waits. When they come to a stop, Rey squats to Padme’s level as the child emphatically explains something. She’s the most amazing mother, the most amazing partner, the most amazing person really. She’s patient... compassionate… understanding. Rey always jokes about how Padme is a daddy’s girl, but it’s clear the child is besotted with her mother. She launches herself in her mother’s awaiting arms and peppers her with kisses. He can hear their peals of laughter from the speeder. Eventually, the embrace ends and Padme goes to stand by her classmates. Rey is still smiling as she walks back to the vehicle. 

 

As she slides in beside him, she lets out a small sigh. For a moment, they both watch their daughter laugh and dance and play with her friends. 

 

“Hey, Ben...I’m supposed to have my annual birth control implant replacement this week,” she says bluntly. She expects some hesitation before he answers and is shocked when there isn’t any.

 

“Cancel it,” he practically shouts, turning his body to face her. Rey can’t suppress her giggle. “Okay, maybe don’t cancel it, but is there an implant with a shorter duration...like a month or something?” 

 

“Yes, there is! You really want another baby…,” she asks with one of the biggest smiles he has ever seen. 

 

“Yes. Rey, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.” 

 

“Thank the maker. It’s like all I’ve been thinking about,” she laughs. 

 

“Me too. I’m serious...every time I look at her..everytime I look at you I want another baby,” he says. “If you’re down I’m down.” 

 

“Let’s do it.” 


End file.
